The Wendish Research Exchange - Wendish Folklore Portfolio Conclusion

Wendish Folklore Portfolio Conclusion

Translated by Elmer Hohle

In the year 1901, the renowned Matej Handrik of Slebjanski wrote of traditional Sorbian folklore: "Our tales are for the purpose of carefully piecing together our people's national way of life. He who would properly envision our national way of life, must view it as a wedding. Once in our reading in Berlin, I came upon another wedding, and while this is all hindsight and one must drink the brandy wine and the grape foam, change that is standing up also, as is when in a theatrical play; but that also was not a comedy; that is all life style, nationalistic, folksy lifestyle at that."

Certainly the native life style of the Sorbs is enlarged and deepened only after each important, traditional folklore has been written down. But the custom and tradition are important parts of our native-national essence. Once upon a time each person's most important life events from birth to death was fixed from the year's natural cycle.

Their roots are extended back long before pre-Christian times. Before they flowed together, there were all kinds of religious contents and ceremonies and rituals. And there are also many customs and traditions that stem from the church year. In many traditions there are both: elements of pre-Christian mingled with the God-fearing religious parts.

This our heritage is expressly associated with the social life-style of our people in the past century. It took patience to identify this heritage, for at one time it was in a sad state and had been trodden underfoot by society.

In composing this Sorbian traditional folklore, I today look back on it as the native heritage of all who live here and for Sorbs everywhere as part of their national existence and knowledge about themselves.